Government has promised to institute conditions of service for doctors as one of the main legacies of President John Mahama.
The Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Haruna Iddrisu welcomed the one month extention of the deadline given them by the Ghana Medica Association (GMA), regarding their mass resignation threats.
He disclosed that the government team engaged in the negotiating worked throughout last weekend and he was thus certain that a deal will be clinched within a fortnight.
“In the spirit of give and take and a win-win strategy, we should be able to clinch a deal within a forthnight. I’ve tasked the committee to work day and night and to report back and see some of the financial implications of those issues for the consideration of the Minister of Finance within the context of our public sector single spine pay policy and other sisues related to the health sector.”
[contextly_sidebar id=”Ja1uqwNi9pO1LmY5rovEpi6UqVHxJPv5″]“Let me assure them that it will part of President Mahama’s legacy within the social sector to bequith to health service workers, a dedicated, negotiated, formalized and concluded conditions of service,” he said on Eyewitness News.
After an emergency general assembly meeting on Monday, the public sector doctors agreed to give government a one month grace period to conclude negotiations on their conditions of service and put together a working document.
The doctors were scheduled to resign on Tuesday, June 30, 2015 following government’s failure to meet their demands.
They have now set July 29 as the new deadline and have since warned that failure to meet this p deadline will see the gradual withdrawal of service throughout the month of August.
Sigh of relief
Haruna Iddrisu stated that government and the nation as a whole can now heave a sigh of relief following the new deadline.
“Their decision is welcome and I am sure all citizens and government can breathe a sigh of relief,” acknowledging that if the doctors had gone through with their June 30 deadline, there would have been dire consequences.”
The Minister commended the leadership of the GMA for the gesture and gave the asusrnace that government will reciprocate “by working assiduously with them through the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission [FWSC] and other technical partners from the Ministry of Finance, the public service and others who are looking into the conditions of service.”
The Employment Minister however clarified that the conditions of service which is currently being worked on is for all health workers.
“We are hopeful, confident and optimistic that we will be able to clinch a deal,” he added.
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @ osamidan